Political Weapons of Mass Destruction
Chris Matthews on MSNBC recently said that Republicans couldn’t decide on a presidential candidate because they are consumed by hate. He also said that Republican brains are so wracked by hate that they have trouble liking anyone, even one of their own candidates.
That Republicans are motivated by “hate” is an unquestioned article of faith in the liberal camp, and Matthews’ observations no doubt met with nods of approval from the true believers. The faithful also approved of his preemptive use of the “H” bomb, which encouraged the liberal troops and stunned the conservatives into silence.
Some time ago Democrat strategists discovered that accusations of “hate” and “racism” are like super weapons that can destroy conservatives from afar, relieving their liberal followers of any need to engage in hand to hand fighting on the merits of their proposals. If your opponents are racists or haters there is no need to muster rational arguments for political trench warfare, you can merely drop the “H” bomb or the equally powerful “R” bomb, and then treat your stunned enemies with contempt.
The use of these political weapons of mass destruction has been gaining in popularity as a strategic way to efficiently destroy conservative opponents without any risk to friendly positions, that might otherwise be destroyed by the enemy’s determined attacks using conventional political weapons like reason and factual data. These super weapons also have the added benefit of blasting opponents with a radioactive stigma that discourages the undecided from giving ear to their views or joining their ranks. After all, why would anyone listen to the depraved ravings of someone poisoned with racism and hate?
Conservatives seem to always be fighting a defensive war using outdated weapons and unappealing concepts like individual responsibility, liberty, and constitutional restraint. These ideas require some reflection to understand, and have been rendered ineffective and virtually incomprehensible to the public mind as a result of the relentless “cold war” that has carefully eliminated any mention of these concepts in the public schools or popular culture.
While conservatives went blindly about their jobs and daily responsibilities, liberals were winning the war of “hearts and minds” by slowly gaining control of the culture and the educational system. As a result, very few people have any concept of what conservatives actually believe, and fall easy prey to educators, the media and entertainers who explain that concepts like limited government, individual liberty, and free markets mean that conservatives are racists haters, who are trying to oppress minorities, women, and the poor.
Liberals are winning the war of ideas by effective use of slogans and branding that convinces the uncritical (i.e. — most Americans) that liberals are trying to look out for the little guy, while conservatives are merely racist haters. “Free money and prosperity for all” has a simple, direct appeal, especially if you are told that your problems are not your own responsibility, and can be easily solved if Republicans will stop protecting the interests of greedy rich people and big corporations. It is easy to believe that anyone who opposes such good ideas must be “racists” and “haters.”
Apart from greed and hate, why would anyone oppose helping minorities, the poor, and the disadvantaged? When conservatives respond with arguments about the proper role of government and individual liberty, those arguments seem convoluted and disingenuous when compared to the direct, simple solutions offered by Democrats. Simple solutions that place the blame for problems on “others” are always popular, especially if the “others” are already easy targets for greed and envy.
Make no mistake, the current war of ideas is being fought by those on the left with the fervor of a religious war, and for those who live in a culture without God, liberal politics has become a sort of substitute religion. To them “limited constitutional government” is merely an excuse for oppression, because it allows the big corporations and greedy capitalist to control the power structure, and corrupt this world with hate, racism, and oppression.
To most conservatives, society’s evils arise from the fallen condition of mankind, and the sin and corruption in each human heart. They, therefore, fear a government of men that has the unlimited power to do or decide what is best for each individual or how each person should live his life. Liberals, on the other hand, believe that people are basically good, and that society’s problems are caused by the structural repression of an inherently unfair political and economic system that favors the oppressive elite. Therefore, giving a caring government the power to strike down the evil oppressors and help the needy will benefit everyone. The strong feelings of contempt and hate that liberals have for those who oppose their beliefs are often genuine, and seem to arise from the same place that causes a “true believer” to hate heretics.
These liberal “hate” attacks against conservatives have a positive strategic value for liberals, but appear to be motivated by more than just a decision to wage total war. Many liberals also appear to be genuinely motivated by strong feelings of loathing and anger toward conservative opponents. For those who advertise that they are fighting a war against intolerance and hatred, many liberals seem entirely incapable of even showing civility and common decency toward their political opponents. If these liberals are seeing hate in conservatives, it is because they are seeing a reflection of their own feelings.
We need your help! If you like PunditHouse, please consider donating to us. Even $5 a month can make a difference!
Short URL: https://pundithouse.com/?p=7851
